Morris tribune., 1887-03-30
The Silent Gossip.

the rug, and says coolly; 81 feel very
much honored, Pm sure, but l don't
think we are suited to each other" the
young man who is most interested in
the conversation can do nothing bet
ter than depart as soon as consistent
with his dignity.
So Richard went out and banged
the door, leaving Dolly in the library.
Dolly was 1s, Richard was %. the
ages at which q man and a woman
are most given to tormenting each
other.
Dolly thought Richard the hand
soonest and wisest of human beings;
Richard thought Dolly the loveliest
and most lovable of women; so there
is no use describing either Of them.
That Dolly should refuse Richard, or
that Richard should propose to
Dolly in an unfavOrabe moment, may
seem very strange, but it was hefault
OF a gossip, a silent gossip, who or
which had circulated most extraor-
binary intelligence concerning Rich
ard.
One fine afternoon, less than week
before this painful evening interview,
Richard walked down Main street,
enjoying the mild spring air, thinking
OF Dolly and tennis, Dolly and his
canoe, Dolly and his tandem, and
Dolly and his buggy, as had been his
habit ever since he returned from col
lege and found that Dolly had treas
ured up all his letters to her brother.
Main Street was crowded; the even
ing train, the supper train from
town. had just arrived, and Richard,
who had come down by an earlier
train on some business with old Mr..
Frankland met the crowd, and beam
ed serenely on every one.
. People meet very closely on thenar-
row sidewalk OF q village street; that
was the reason why the two Poulett
girls, apparently struck by Richard S
new scarf-pin, stared and giggled as
they passed. Then Miss Lawndes, the
dressmaker, peered at him with eager
eyes; Mrs. Allan, the doctors wife,
stout and slow, came to a full stop in
front OF him, aid as he stepped aside
to give herrOOm, she turned and look
ed at him again before she passed on.
Richards special friends, the boys, .
as the young lawyers clerks and rail
road men of his own age were called,
were nearly all on the other side ofthe
street, but Bobby Price, Just through
college, and on his way home from the
tennis-grOund, sauntered slowly to
meet Richard. Lulie Cameron was
with him, CiggIing as usual, and they
both stopped and talked to Richard
for a minute or two. Then it was tea
time, and everyone in well-regulated
Sunnydale went home.
Within the next three days all Sun
nydale was talking about Richard
Dale and Julia FARMLAND; OF the out
rageous Irritation between them, for
Julia was engaged to George Lane, who
was in Europe on a long business trip.
The first that Dolly Firth heard OF
it was from her Aunt Julia Dorr. Aft
er announcing the facts in the case,
she said:
I'VE all know that Julia firted be-
fore she was engaged; but | never
would have believed she could have
misbehaved so afterward. George
will be furious. OF course he will
break of. and | can't blame him"
Dolly kept silent. Richard had been
devoted to her since they were chill
dren, they had Quarreled and made
up dozen times, and he had occa-
sionally invited other girls to parties
and picnicS. when he had thought
Dolly had shown signs OF undervalu-
ing him, but never in their lives had
there been anything like this. And to
think how he had kept on calling on
her three times a week, while he was,
no doubt, calling on Julia the other
four evenings! And then to come
down in the early train to call on her
The detestabe little firt, it was all
her fault" thought Dolly, bending
over her work and bIushing with
shame and anger.
But though Dolly inwardly ragged
she showed no signs Of disturbance,
and serenely met Richard when he call
ed, as usual, two days after she had
learned OF his falseness.
'It it were not that the whole vii
lage had seen it, l believe l should be
deceived by him again, thought Dolly
as she looked into his eyes that were
dearer to her than all others, as
they beamed at her from under Rich
ards straight brows.
When Richard, who had lately made
certain satisfactory business arrange
ments and felt that now his lifelong
devotion deserved to be rewarded,
made what he considered a neat and
a. creditable proposal, his wrath at her
refusal was not greater than Dolly's
at his presumption.
~ didn't need to lead up to it, as If
/ had only known her month! She's
been fooling me all this timel" was
Richards angry comment as he went
down the steps.
He thinks because she's engaged
and firts, he can be engaged and firt,
too" was Dolly's meditation, mingled
with tears. "But l would take him!
Oh, would be just such a fool and
forgive hin-if the whole village hadn' t
seen it," and Dolly wept above the
new mantel-cover, regardless of de-
corative art.
Dolly was not one to tell when she
had refused an offer, so she had no
one to sympathize with her. The
friendship between her brother Fred,
and Richard had been long and nm
shaken, and possibly Dolly might have
begged Fred to call him back and clear
him OF the charges against him; but
Fred was in Texas, not to be home
for weeks, so Dolly had her trouble all
to herself and tried to be amiable.
Not so did Richard. That young
man appeared on the next morning S
train with a face so forbidding that
none OF ''the boys" ventured to sit
with him. A snort "Morning!" was
all the greeting he returned to any
one, and he was left to his paper and
his thoughts. Meaning glances and
masculine chuckles went on about
him. All imagined he had learned
what an amazing amount ofwOrk had
been accomplished by the silent gossip
and they, rather unwisely concluded
to drop the suhject-for it would have
shortened various troubles if Richard
and Julia had known about the talk.
But Richard had not even heard his
aname connected with jules, and was
simply in q furious temper over his
L / 10 oIryr ri,,l